Automatically tiltable beach umbrella



March 28, 1967 PEARLSTlNE 3,311,119

AUTOMATICALLY TILTABLE BEACH UMBRELLA Filed April 22, 1965 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR MORTON PEARLSTINE HAROLD S. O'BRIAN, Jr.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 311 119 AUTQMATICALLY TlliTA BLE BEACH UMBRELLA Morton Pearlstine, Cynwyd, Pa. (1419 Old Welsh Road, Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 19001) Filed Apr. 22, 1965, er. No. 449,961 6 Claims. (Cl. 13520) This invention relates to a beach umbrella or similar type of collapsible umbrella commonly used on a beach, sun porches, or the like.

More particularly, this invention relates to an improved type of umbrella having apparatus for controlling the movement of the fabric-supporting ribs which far exceeds the capability and efficiency of that presently known in the trade.

The typical umbrella of the class described employs a nylon cord or the like to raise and lower a collar-like member fitted on the center post which moves rods connected to the fabric-supporting ribs. As the collar is raised, the rods push the ribs outwardly and upwardly to open the umbrella. The controlling cord normally is under heavy tension and under certain adverse conditions, for example, When there is a wind or the components are rusty, the load increases to a point suflicient to break the cord. Also, under adverse conditions, the cord becomes very tightly wound on the driving shaft and hearing surfaces and often jams, thereby preventing opening or closing the umbrella.

Therefore, it is the primary object of this invention to provide apparatus for opening and closing a relatively large beach or patio umbrella which is strong enough to continue to operate under adverse conditions, such as those described briefly above, without breaking or binding.

It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus having the above advantages which will automatically tilt at the top so as to incline the umbrella fabric in one direction when the umbrella is fully opened thereby providing .greater protection from the sun or wind.

It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus having the above advantages which is easy to operate and inexpensive to manufacture.

These and other advantages of this invention will become more apparent from the description set forth herein and from the drawings attached hereto, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of a typical beach umbrella and stand without the umbrella fabric having the preferred form of the apparatus of this invention mounted therein:

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged but partial side elevational View, partly cut away, of the central umbrella-supporting members with the umbrella approaching the fully opened position, and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged partial view, partly in section and partly in front elevation, taken along the lines and arrows IIIIII of FIGURE 1.

Referring preliminarily to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a generally typical beach umbrella is showntherein in the operating position being supported by a table 12 through which the umbrella extends and held upright in a stand 14. The umbrella 10 comprises a bottom center post or tubular support 16 having an axial slot 17 (shown in broken lines) formed therein and an upper tubular support 18 pivotally mounted on the bottom support 16. A rod collar 20 is mounted on the base tubular support 16 for controlled vertical movement thereon and said collar 20 has a series of generally radially directed rods 22 pivotally attached to the collar. Each rod 22 is pivotally joined to an umbrella fabric rib 24 which, in turn, is pivotally supported at the top of upper tubular support 18. A suitable fabric is mounted on the ribs 24 to shield a person or the table 12 from the sun or rain, but the 3,31 1,119 Patented Mar. 28, 1967 fabric is omitted in FIGURE 1 so as to more clearly disclose the structural components.

Of course, it should be understood that the general urnbrella structure 10 described hereinbefore is that of the standard form known in the art and that the novel apparatus of this invention described hereinbelow can be mounted on the type shown or on modified versions thereof. This invention is directed to a screw-driven apparatus for raising and lowering the umbrella or fabric-supporting ribs and rods and for causing the top of the umbrella to tilt in one direction when the umbrella is fully opened. A preferred form of the apparatus of this invention to accomplish these purposes is described in detail hereinbelow with reference being made to the drawing.

A threaded shaft or screw 30 is mounted axially within the bottom tubular support 16 as shown in sectional view in FIGURE 3. At its base, shaft 31! is held by a pin 31 to a generally cylindrically shaped bearing 32 which, in turn, rests within a detent and correspondingly-shaped bearing support 34 fixedly mounted within tubular support 16. Attached to hearing 32 at its distal end is a first bevel gear 36 which is engaged With a second bevel gear 38 for rotation therewith. Both gears 36, 38 are mounted within a chamber 40 formed in an enlarged portion 42 of the tubular support 16. Gear 38 is fixedly mounted on a shaft 44 which is mounted for rotation in opposing bearings 46 and a handle 48 is attached to the distal end of shaft 44.

At its upper end, threaded shaft 30 is mounted within a stationary bushing 50 so that shaft 30 is free to rotate within bottom support 16 when handle 48 is turned, thereby rotating shaft 44, connected gears 38, 36, bearing 32 and finally shaft 30.

Mounted on shaft 30' and threadedly engaged therewith is a member 52 having a threaded internal bore (shown in dotted lines) located within a nut-like portion 52a located within the bottom tubular support 16. Member 52 has a narrow neck portion 52b-which extends through the slot 17 so as to prevent member 52 from rota-ting when shaft 30 is rotated and thereby causing member 52 to advance on shaft 30 when shaft 30 is rotated. Attached to neck portion 52b by a rivet 53 is a generally vertically disposed arm 54 which, in turn, is pivotally connected to arm 56 by a bolt 55 which is fixedly attached to collar 20. A stop 54a is attached to arm 54 as shown for purposes described herein'below.

Referring to FIGURES 2 and 3, the upper tubular support 18 is pivotally connected adjacent to its lower end to the top end of lower tubular support 16 by a pin 60 shown partly in dotted lines in FIGURE 2. Attached to the base of upper tubular support 18 are a pair of parallel, axially aligned flanges 62 indented to form shoulders 64 on both sides as shown in FIGURE 2. Attached to the upper end of lower tubular support 16 is a supporting unit comprising a pair of laterally spaced, parallel flanges 66 having a wall 68 partially joining the flanges at one end, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3 and partly in full lines in FIGURE 2. Upper tubular support flanges 62 fit between lower flanges 66; pin 60 joins the flanges I 62, 66 for pivotal movement, and wall 68 limits the movement of top support 18 within an arc in one direction, as shown in FIGURE 3. Arm 54 moves within the space between upper flanges 62 when the umbrella collar is raised above the pivoting pin 60 as shown in FIG- URE 3.

Movably mounted on upper tubular support 18 is a cylindrically shaped locking collar 70 supported in position by a loosely formed compression spring 72 mounted on support 18 and attached to collar 70 at one end.

Spring 72 is attached at the opposite end to the top of support 13 and has a length in the relaxed condition such that the cylindrical collar 70 is normally held over the pivoting pin 60 and in the general location of the union of the two sections as shown in FIGURE 2. While the collar 70 is so positioned (FIGURE 2), upper support 13 cannot pivot but is held in the vertical position as shown in FIGURE 1. However, when collar 20, supporting the rods and ribs, is raised to the area where the supports 16, 18 are joined, collar 20 pushes against and raises locking collar iii axially on support 18 compressing spring '72. When collar 20 is raised above pin 61) further upward movement of nut-like member 52 and arm 54 causes arms 54, 56 to pivot around bolt 55 and the upper support 18 to pivot into the position shown in FIGURE 3 because the locking collar 70 has been raised. Further upward movement of arm 54 causes the protrud- 1ng stop 54a to press against the bottom of one flange 62 thereby preventing further upward movement as shown in FIGURE 3. At this point, the rods 22 are fully extended and the ribs 24 are radially positioned thereby holding the umbrella fabric taut. Top section 18 cannot rotate further because, in addition to a flange 62 hitting stop 5411, the shoulders 64 contact the wall 68 of the lower section 18.

Operation of the preferred form of the automatically adjustable umbrella of this invention is as follows. The umbrella, with the fabric-supporting ribs closed, is placed generally in a vertical position and supported by a base or table 12 as shown in FIGURE 1. Then the handle 48 is rotated causing the bevel gears 38, 36 to rotate the center threaded shaft 30. Rotation of shaft 30 in one direction causes member 52 to advance upwardly thereby causing collar 20 to move upwardly from the partially closed position shown in FIGURE 1 to the nearly opened position shown in FIGURE 2. At this time, the top section 18 is held substantially vertically by cylindrical collar 70. As handle 48 continues to be rotated, collar 20 advances up support 16 until it contacts collar 70 and pushes that collar up section 18. As soon as collar 20 passes pivotal pin 60, the top section 18 rotates into an inclined position shown in FIGURE 3. The collar 20 is then suificiently high to cause the connected rods 22 to press the ribs 24 into the fully opened position thereby tensioning the fabric mounted on the ribs. The umbrella is then fully expanded and is slightly inclined or tilted at the top to provide additional protection against the sun or wind. The entire umbrella may be rotated to position the. tilted top in the desired direction. When it is desired to close the umbrella, handle 48 is rotated in the opposite direction causing shaft 3%) to rotate and draw member 52 downwardly. Movement of member 52 causes arm 54 to pull the top section 18, first, into a vertical position when collar 20 reaches pin 60 and, then, to close the rods 22 and ribs 24. Cylindrical collar 70 follows collar 20 down support 18 and assumes a position surrounding the pivot pin thereby holding the top section substantially vertical. Further rotation of handle 48 lowers collar 20 further and closes the umbrella entirely thereby completing the cycle.

It should be understood that only the preferred form of the invention has been described herein and that alterations and modifications in the form shown will be obvious to those skilled in the art, but such modifications will be well within the spirit of the invention and scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. Ina beach umbrella or the like having a substantially vertically positioned main tubular support, a plurality of generally radially arranged fabric-supporting ribs, each mounted at one end on the top of the tubular support, an equal number of rods, each connected to a rib and to a rod collar, said rod collar being mounted for vertical movement on the main tubular support from a bottom position when the fabric-supporting ribs are closed to a top position when the ribs are fully opened, apparatus for raising and lowering the rod collar and for moving the ribs into a desired inclined position comprising an axial slot formed in the wall of the main tubular support and extending a portion of its length, a threaded shaft mounted axially within the tubular support for independent rotation therein, an internally threaded member threadedly mounted on the shaft and having a portion extending through the axial slot, said extended portion thereby preventing the member from rotating with the shaft but allowing the member to move vertically within the tubular support when the threaded shaft is rotated, means connected to the threaded shaft and located on the outside of the tubular support for causing the shaft to rotate,

a top tubular support pivotally joined to the main tubular support at a point adjacent to one 'of their ends so that the top tubular support is free to rotate into inclined position within an arc extending in one direction from the vertical position while the main tubular support remains in substantially a vertical position, and

hinged means connecting the extended portion of the threaded member and the rod collar so that when the threaded member is raised to a certain height on the shaft, the rod collar is thereby raised from an initial lower position on the main tubular support and progressively moves over the pivotal point and then onto the top tubular support and thereby causes the top support to rotate around the pivotal point placing the fabric-supporting ribs into an inclined position.

2. The umbrella as defined in claim 1 further including a locking cylindrical collar mounted for limited axial movement on the top tubular support and held by a spring in a first position encompassing the pivotal point of the main and top tubular supports and maintaining the top support in a vertical position,

said locking collar being displaced upwardly by said rod collar to allow the top support to pivot when said rod collar is raised past the pivotal point by the threaded member.

3. The umbrella as defined in claim 2 further including the threaded shaft being mounted in a top bushing and attached to a bottom bushing within the tubular support, said bottom bushing having a bevel gear attached thereto,

a second bevel gear mounted on a substantially horizontal shaft extending through the wall of the main tubular support, said second bevel gear engaging the first bevel gear, and the shaft has a handle located thereon whereby upon rotating the handle the first bevel gear rotates the second gear which in turn rotates the bottom bushing and the threaded shaft.

4. The umbrella as defined in claim 2 further including a stop formed at a selected position on the hinged means connecting the extended portion of the internally threaded member to said rod collar so that when the top tubular support pivots a certain distance the stop prevents further pivotal movement and holds said top section in the selected inclined position.

5. In a beach umbrella or the like having a substantially vertically positioned tubular support, a plurality of generally radially arranged fabric-supporting ribs, each mounted at one end on the top of the tubular support, an equal number of rods each connected to a rib and to a cylindrical rod collar, said rod collar being mounted for axial movement on the tubular support from a bottom position when the fabric-supporting ribs are closed to a top position when the ribs are fully opened, apparatus for raising and lowering the rod collar and for placing the fabric-supporting ribs into a selected inclined position comprising the tubular support being divided into a main section and a top section which are pivotally connected adi ent i9 11. end of each section, said sections being so connected that the top section is free to rotate into an inclined position within an arc extending in one direction from the vertical position while the main section remains in a vertical position,

an axial slot formed in the wall of the main tubular support section,

a rod collar control member located substantially within the main tubular support section for axial movement therein, said member having an extended portion which extends through the axial slot of the main section,

means for raising and lowering the rod collar control member, said means being located substantially within the main tubular support section and controlled by a handle located outside of the main section,

hinged means connecting the extended portion of the 6 section and thereby causes the top section to rotate around the pivotal point placing the fabric-supporting ribs into an inclined position.

6. The umbrella as defined in claim 5 further including a locking cylindrical collar mounted for limited axial References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS rod collar control member to the rod collar so that 338,986 3/1886 Leistner -135--20 as the rod collar control member is raised the rod 2,721,569 10/1955 Militano 1352O collar is raised from an initial lower position on the 2,906,278 9/1959 Small 135-46 main tubular support section and progressively moves 20 over the pivotal point and then onto the top tubular HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A BEACH UMBRELLA OR THE LIKE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY POSITIONED MAIN TUBULAR SUPPORT, A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY RADIALLY ARRANGED FABRIC-SUPPORTING RIBS, EACH MOUNTED AT ONE END ON THE TOP OF THE TUBULAR SUPPORT, AN EQUAL NUMBER OF RODS, EACH CONNECTED TO A RIB AND TO A ROD COLLAR, SAID ROD COLLAR BEING MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT ON THE MAIN TUBULAR SUPPORT FROM A BOTTOM POSITION WHEN THE FABRIC-SUPPORTING RIBS ARE CLOSED TO A TOP POSITION WHEN THE RIBS ARE FULLY OPENED, APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE ROD COLLAR AND FOR MOVING THE RIBS INTO A DESIRED INCLINED POSITION COMPRISING AN AXIAL SLOT FORMED IN THE WALL OF THE MAIN TUBULAR SUPPORT AND EXTENDING A PORTION OF ITS LENGTH, A THREADED SHAFT MOUNTED AXIALLY WITHIN THE TUBULAR SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENT ROTATION THEREIN, AN INTERNALLY THREADED MEMBER THREADEDLY MOUNTED ON THE SHAFT AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH THE AXIAL SLOT, SAID EXTENDED PORTION THEREBY PREVENTING THE MEMBER FROM ROTATING WITH THE SHAFT BUT ALLOWING THE MEMBER TO MOVE VERTICALLY WITHIN THE TUBULAR SUPPORT WHEN THE THREADED SHAFT IS ROTATED, MEANS CONNECTED TO THE THREADED SHAFT AND LOCATED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TUBULAR SUPPORT FOR CAUSING THE SHAFT TO ROTATE, A TOP TUBULAR SUPPORT PIVOTALLY JOINED TO THE MAIN TUBULAR SUPPORT AT A POINT ADJACENT TO ONE OF THEIR ENDS SO THAT THE TOP TUBULAR SUPPORT IS FREE TO ROTATE INTO INCLINED POSITION WITHIN AN ARC EXTENDING IN ONE DIRECTION FROM THE VERTICAL POSITION WHILE THE MAIN TUBULAR SUPPORT REMAINS IN SUBSTANTIALLY A VERTICAL POSITION, AND HINGED MEANS CONNECTING THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE THREADED MEMBER AND THE ROD COLLAR SO THAT WHEN THE THREADED MEMBER IS RAISED TO A CERTAIN HEIGHT ON THE SHAFT, THE ROD COLLAR IS THEREBY RAISED FROM AN INITIAL LOWER POSITION ON THE MAIN TUBULAR SUPPORT AND PROGRESSIVELY MOVES OVER THE PIVOTAL POINT AND THEN ONTO THE TOP TUBULAR SUPPORT AND THEREBY CAUSES THE TOP SUPPORT TO ROTATE AROUND THE PIVOTAL POINT PLACING THE FABRIC-SUPPORTING RIBS INTO AN INCLINED POSITION. 